The election upset is fantastic, and Simon quotes and links to the terrific breaking-news article by The Downballot. I would like to quote an amusing reader’s comment that underscores just how historic last night’s victory is:
"Fun historical fact: the last time a Democrat won a PA state Senate seat in Lancaster County was a special election in ....1889.
"That was followed by a national Democratic wave in 1890. One of the big issues that Dems exploited in that cycle was tariffs passed by a Republican trifecta (Benjamin Harrison was president, and William McKinley was the Congressional power behind the tariffs) which sharply raised the prices of many consumer goods."
– Mike in MD, The Downballot
And a wry reply to that:
"Incredible. We’re doing measles! And segregation! And dropsy! And tariffs! And dysentery! I’m so happy I get to live through the 1890s again."
(Note: If you’re interested in election news, it’s well worth subscribing to The DownBallot, founded by David Nir and Jeff Singer formerly of DailyKos Elections.)
Passed this news on to my cousin who has been a President of a League of Women voters chapter (in PA) for years. She has wanted to bow out but feels she can't yet because there's too much interference with voting. She was so down about the November election, but I told her if you look beneath the federal level, things are looking a lot bluer these days. Hopefully this is a major shot in the arm for her.
There was another special election for a PA house seat just outside Pittsburgh yesterday that stayed democratic and ensured that the Dems hold a one seat majority in the House.
Hi all - so energized by the great National Update and Call to Action yesterday with Leader Jeffries & Chair Martin - this is just what's needed, and I hope the Senate does the same. Also excited by the results from PA. SO exciting, and a great inspiration for folks to redouble efforts in Wisconsin! Also happy that Jeff Goldberg is pulling no punches and has released the details of the Signal call.
Late yesterday, I emailed all of the Dems on the Intel committee demanding hearings and resignations of Hegseth, Gabbard & Ratliffe. I am going to do the same for the Rs and call my electeds today. We need to contact House Intel as well. KEEP GOING!
Lisa, where did you see this? "Great National Update and call to action" sounds amazing but I didn't see anything anywhere. Please share your resource. PS I don't have TV, only computer, streaming and Substacks, and online news, which I limit to the Guardian. Thanks.
You can follow Ken Martin and Hakeem Jeffries on BlueSky, one of the places where it was announced. Or subscribe to the Democrats youtube channel and request notifications at https://www.youtube.com/thedemocrats
Saw a funny post on Bluesky by David Mack just now: "hmm our strategy of goading you to publish appears not to have successfully made the story go away"
SIGNALGATE just keeps getting worse and worse for Team Trump, which is desperately trying to pretend that "nothing happened, nothing to see here".
A lawsuit has been filed contending that the Trump Administration broke federal law when discussing their Yemen plans on Signal. And guess which judge will be overseeing that lawsuit? Judge James Boasberg, that’s who – a judge with spine who already stopped Trump’s deportation flights. That’s right, this is the judge MAGA Congresscritters want to impeach and remove for daring to opposed their Dear Leader.
What a great bit of good fortune! And how stupid of Hegseth to lie when his lie is so easily exposed by The Atlantic's release. When the person in question is editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, no doubt about that.
I predict that after a solid 2 days of denying that war plans were on the chat, now that the chat content has been released today, MAGA is going to brand Goldberg a traitor for releasing classified information in the chat.
I do think The Atlantic needs to be very, very careful about how much information they release from that chat. Seems to me they are exposing themselves to some sort of criminal charges, whether justified or not. This administration has shown that it has no qualms about making outrageous allegations and harassing people legally with its official tools and resources.
apart from that, the Atlantic should not be doing anything that might help our adversaries by publishing information that is, or should have been, classified. But chaos breeds more chaos.
“It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday […] it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it.” -George Orwell, 1984
I used to think this part was exaggerated to make Orwell’s point. I wish I still thought that.
and aren't we all so grateful that Musk graciously appears to have agreed to cooperate with Congress on cuts to the workforce. Stand up and cheer y'all. At least, that was the framing I got from a recent NPR article on the matter.
After admitting yesterday that he put Goldberg into the chat, Waltz--without walking back what he said, just counting on us to forget it (classic brazen Trump) says today he's "investigating how the heck [Goldberg] got in the room," which pretty clearly implies they're going to start claiming he hacked his way in somehow--or that a flaw in Signal dumped him in. You called it, Faith. It looks like Signal's going to get thrown under the bus, for sure.
Whether they go so far as to claim Goldberg, who is widely respected in the media community, got in by illicit means, depends, I think, on how cowed they think the media is and how relevant they think the media still is. By yesterday evening, the media was all parroting "no classified material" like it was the new "no collusion," which isn't a good sign. Will the media also stop reminding people that Waltz admitted he screwed up when Trump starts trying to pin something nefarious on Goldberg? We shall see.
Whether they go after him and the Atlantic for treason over today's article is another question. I've got to believe the Atlantic is very high on his retribution list, both in general, and because of articles Goldberg has written that expose Trump as a total fraud vis a vis the military he considers his ace in the hole.
We, the opposition, need to start drawing some red lines.
The National Insecurity Team et al have declared that it’s not classified information, so The Atlantic took its cue from them, plus they wanted to expose the lies, of course.
John Ratcliffe, Trump’s CIA Director, typed the name of an undercover CIA operative in that chat. Let that sink in. In case anyone has any doubt: That is classified intelligence information of the highest order!
Let us remember that one of the participants in that Signal chat was Steve Witkoff – who happened to be in Moscow at the time. Just to be clear: Signal is insecure and it is virtually guaranteed the Russians had full access to the chat.
PS. Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, is the only one acting responsibly here. Unlike Trump’s incompetent National Security team, Goldberg is NOT risking releasing sensitive classified info into the public domain.
I'm sorry, are you implying that Goldberg, the veteran journalist, is somehow to blame for the incompetence of the Trump administration, the group that is more synonymous with scandal than Shonda Rhimes?
Without mental fitness evaluations, the public needs to know the danger of certified madness in politics. When dangerous mental pathologies are allowed to spread like a pandemic, an Extinction Level Event is headed straight for Earth. The U.S. could be a shining example of how to stop dangerous mental pathologies before they worm their way into politics but it is now left with "emergency cleanup on aisle madness'.
Additionally, the last thing you want in a Sec of Defense is the inability to see beyond his own next move, to anticipate the moves of others. Not exactly a chess champion.
Re ". . .now is the time for Dems and all of us to really pounce and tell our story with everything we got." To wit: With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days!) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-25-25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Mayor Michelle Wu, J im Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, Elyssa Slotkin, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson--
American Bar Association, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, DemocracyLabs, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines et al. And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal,
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (Law.com)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (Law.com)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (Law.com)
Let's keep updating this - Thank you, Larry! Please add in Senator Jon Ossoff - incredible leadership speech at Atlanta rally 3 days ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEFzw21cx7Q
Y'all, I haven't been checking in much since the election, though I read and watch and listen to almost everything bubbling at Hopium. I am calling my Georgia Senators and Rep (almost) every day now and donating to the specific candidates who Simon strategically bundles for here. And I continue to tell the truth about this extraordinary country (and the peril she currently faces) to anyone in my sphere of influence. Godspeed to all of you who are doing the same.
Yesterday I saw an interview Scott Dworkin did with Gay Valimont who is running in a FL special election. I think she’s a great candidate. Jasmine Crockett says “we have to try!” Having her on for a short interview would let people hear her and decide for themselves if the want to contribute, make calls or text and help her campaign. I don’t think having an interview with her takes anything away from the work and support for candidates in 2026. The DNC is now putting some money in.
Gay is doing a live town hall tonight from Crestview, and has sent out the word to Okaloosa and Walton counties to join in. I'm pretty sure FB will stream it, if it's streamed anywhere -- as with some of her other live events.
Excellent election results in Pennsylvania. Just a quick word about the 'Signalgate' events. The hostility to Europe (and Canada and others) is provoking responses. I hope our peoples maintain the best possible relationships, however commercial, diplomatic and military relationships are being strained. We will see Europe going its own way in these areas, developing and procuring European equipment and reducing purchases of US manufactured equipment. Increasingly there are popular boycotts of big American brands. Even in the UK this is starting. I think the next four years risks major rifts. The use of tariffs, the disgusting treatment of the President of Ukraine (a 21st century Churchill) and the badmouthing of Europeans is just unfathomable. Hundreds of British servicemen died in Afghanistan and Iraq, alongside what were then their American comrades. Now that's overlooked, our shared histories of defending democracy overlooked, all for some childish, puerile bigotry. Well, FU Vance and Trump. To US friends, solidarity - we have to defeat this oligarchical faction full of Russian assets. Next stop is Wisconsin on 1 April. Love to you all.
Probably a good idea for all of us to keep in touch with friends from other countries. We, the people, can be the stitches for these wounds until we throw these evil clowns out of power.
Greetings from Madison, WI. Flew in from Connecticut over the weekend and will be here through the election and beyond canvassing and doing digital media. Thanks to my belov-ed Gretchen (who is now a Hopium member as well) for making this possible!.
First day of canvassing was encouraging. 21% of the people whose doors I knocked on opened them (which my handler said was "amazing") on a late afternoon that felt a lot colder than it was, and that doesn't include people who weren't on the list but hopefully will be included going forward.
Everyone who opened their door was very enthusiastic, determined, had a plan to vote, and (this surprised me), thanked me without my playing the Connecticut card--my handler told me I should tell people where I had come from as a way of emphasizing how important this election is. He said in his experience, it means a lot to people to know that (whereas I would've thought you wouldn't want to come across as a 21st century Freedom Rider unless, like me, you're "coming home")
I want to emphasize to anyone who doesn't think they can do this that I *suck* at it. No, really. I go up to each door kind of hoping no one will be home so I can just leave the literature and move on. If somebody does answer the door, there follows an increasingly uncomfortable silence until I can find and "use my words." And even when I do, my brain-mouth coordination isn't as good or fast as my hand-brain. This is why I'm online ;D
But there *were* two 'crafty left-hander" things I did to make up for my complete lack of a fastball, one of which I think helped, and the other I *know* did.
(1) Before going up to any door, I Googled pronunciations of any first or last names that weren't completely familiar and obvious to me. I figured that in the current hostile environment for immigrants, it would help break the ice if I got this right, and I got some looks that I think confirmed this.
(2) Being an online community/viral guy, the most important thing to me other than making sure people vote is getting them to commit to getting the word out to friends. But the kind of person most likely to do it, who has already voted or committed to vote, seems to want to just tell you this and go back inside (or hang up the phone).
The campaign gave me these flyers to leave if nobody was home, so what I did instead of asking for a pledge was hand the person three flyers and ask if they could give them to three friends. Everyone agreed enthusiastically to do it, some even thanked me for the materials. My handler told me it was a great idea, but told me I can only give people one flyer because supplies are limited. Sounds like we need to keep giving money!
Thanks for the 'roadmap' - both obviously are effective. The Google pronunciation one is especially good. And i would say that despite lack of money and material, giving out 3 is better than 1. 1 flyer easily ends up in the nearest wastebasket, whereas throwing out 3 might be harder. They might be more likely to clump together on the nearest table and keep nudging the recipient to give them out - even to the mailman or next delivery person.
When I was canvassing last year (and I also suck at it), I kept a few flyers by my own front door. Anyone who was selling something got heard out, but then I asked if they had a plan to vote and gave them a flyer.
Thanks for doing this Tom. In my limited experience going out of state to canvass door-to-door, I found it to be much more challenging and frustrating than I expected. I doubt I got 5 percent of doors to open.
I was told the lists we were getting consisted only of people WisDems weren't sure were going to vote--anyone who was "definitely" going to vote or had already voted was not included. That's why I was surprised by both the hit rate and the universality of the reaction on the part of those who opened the door.
The second day, when I started earlier, the hit rate was lower, 11% I think, but that doesn't include 3 people who weren't on the list (though maybe they were definites). I'm both scary-looking and earnest-looking in equal measure, walking, talking cognitive dissonance.
OK, I've stalled long enough. Time for me to try to talk my way into an apartment building with 83 potential voters in it.
I probably wouldn’t open my door for someone I didn’t recognize. Depending on the neighborhood, there could be a lot of people that might not open their door for security reasons.
Here, if they arrive pairwise by car and are well dressed, they are likely to be Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, or people who drove down the wrong driveway. At least that has been our experience.
I always wore a tee shirt with the name of the campaign and had a bag with a Kamala Harris sticker. My goal was for them to know who I was before I even talked, so they could choose to engage or not. The best times in my area for doors being answered were late Sunday morning, like 10-12.
Good for you on canvassing! And for sharing what you did. I am also uncomfortable about canvassing and calling my Congress people, but I'm finding that if I make it a practice, it gets so much easier.
Self reporting: I called Raskin, Alsobrooks, and Van Hollen. Thanked Raskin for what he's doing but said Democrats all need to start acting like this is the emergency it is. Told all 3 I started paying SS when I bagged groceries at 15 and paid every year until I retired and I don't want it destroyed because Musk fires all the workers so no one can get any help. Also told all 3 that the administration leaking war plans on insecure social media cannot be a one-day or even one-week issue. Democrats need to grab ahold of this issue and not let go. Looking forward to tonight's subscriber chat.
Hey Catherine, I also live in Maryland and have been calling the same 3, but focusing more on the senators because Raskin is already doing so much . Should we try meeting our senators in person as a delegation from Hopium? Would any other Marylanders care to join us?
As it stands, I'm forced to wonder if any legal consequences are going to come of what I'm going to call 'Stupid Watergate III: The Stupidest Stupid Watergate.' But if we get really lucky in the U.S House races next week, we can make MAGA feel this one.
Or the House flips, and a hearing is at least guaranteed. We haven't been that lucky (at least nationally) in a while, so I suppose there's an argument to be made that we're due.
Self reporting from WI… Calls are in to republican Senator regarding the importance of going in offense now etc. calls are in to democratic electeds as well. Rounding up a few friends to “bridge brigade” for Crawford on Saturday. Unfortunately I have to postpone my planned Trump protest this afternoon- It’s on my list for next week though. I think I’m going to bring my dog (his name is Simon, so it’s only right he takes part in the resistance) - he’s got a little protest sign to hang on his back “Dogs against DOGE” and “paws off K-9 units”
Thank you Simon! I've been very frustrated at Dems I've either been in touch with or seen on zooms who are still saying "voters only care about kitchen table issues" and refuse to lead with a holistic narrative that "from Social Security to national security, Trump/Musk/the GOP don't care about us and can't be trusted." What do we have to do to build them up so they're willing to be bolder?
PENNSYLVANIA – A HISTORIC VICTORY
The election upset is fantastic, and Simon quotes and links to the terrific breaking-news article by The Downballot. I would like to quote an amusing reader’s comment that underscores just how historic last night’s victory is:
"Fun historical fact: the last time a Democrat won a PA state Senate seat in Lancaster County was a special election in ....1889.
"That was followed by a national Democratic wave in 1890. One of the big issues that Dems exploited in that cycle was tariffs passed by a Republican trifecta (Benjamin Harrison was president, and William McKinley was the Congressional power behind the tariffs) which sharply raised the prices of many consumer goods."
– Mike in MD, The Downballot
And a wry reply to that:
"Incredible. We’re doing measles! And segregation! And dropsy! And tariffs! And dysentery! I’m so happy I get to live through the 1890s again."
https://www.the-downballot.com/p/breaking-democrats-flip-deep-red
(Note: If you’re interested in election news, it’s well worth subscribing to The DownBallot, founded by David Nir and Jeff Singer formerly of DailyKos Elections.)
I read this, as an historian whose specialty was the 19th century, I got a good laugh.
as someone who lives one county over, we are simply OVERJOYED.
Passed this news on to my cousin who has been a President of a League of Women voters chapter (in PA) for years. She has wanted to bow out but feels she can't yet because there's too much interference with voting. She was so down about the November election, but I told her if you look beneath the federal level, things are looking a lot bluer these days. Hopefully this is a major shot in the arm for her.
There was another special election for a PA house seat just outside Pittsburgh yesterday that stayed democratic and ensured that the Dems hold a one seat majority in the House.
Right on! .. Dan Goughnour (Go-Geh-Nower) is really a great candidate. A fantastic night for Dems.
Hi all - so energized by the great National Update and Call to Action yesterday with Leader Jeffries & Chair Martin - this is just what's needed, and I hope the Senate does the same. Also excited by the results from PA. SO exciting, and a great inspiration for folks to redouble efforts in Wisconsin! Also happy that Jeff Goldberg is pulling no punches and has released the details of the Signal call.
Late yesterday, I emailed all of the Dems on the Intel committee demanding hearings and resignations of Hegseth, Gabbard & Ratliffe. I am going to do the same for the Rs and call my electeds today. We need to contact House Intel as well. KEEP GOING!
Lisa, where did you see this? "Great National Update and call to action" sounds amazing but I didn't see anything anywhere. Please share your resource. PS I don't have TV, only computer, streaming and Substacks, and online news, which I limit to the Guardian. Thanks.
It was on YouTube, one of our group posted the link. Sorry, meant to post it! FWIW, they started this two weeks ago: https://www.youtube.com/live/yr_iSZ8VtJg?si=k29bX2jcICUfJzd2
Do you know how we get notified about the next one, and what the schedule is?
You can follow Ken Martin and Hakeem Jeffries on BlueSky, one of the places where it was announced. Or subscribe to the Democrats youtube channel and request notifications at https://www.youtube.com/thedemocrats
https://bsky.app/profile/kenmartin.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/democrats.org
I wish that some bigger names would get out there to NY state for the Stefanik seat and the FL seats!!
Saw a funny post on Bluesky by David Mack just now: "hmm our strategy of goading you to publish appears not to have successfully made the story go away"
SIGNALGATE just keeps getting worse and worse for Team Trump, which is desperately trying to pretend that "nothing happened, nothing to see here".
A lawsuit has been filed contending that the Trump Administration broke federal law when discussing their Yemen plans on Signal. And guess which judge will be overseeing that lawsuit? Judge James Boasberg, that’s who – a judge with spine who already stopped Trump’s deportation flights. That’s right, this is the judge MAGA Congresscritters want to impeach and remove for daring to opposed their Dear Leader.
https://www.axios.com/2025/03/26/signal-lawsuit-judge-trump-deportation-flights
What a great bit of good fortune! And how stupid of Hegseth to lie when his lie is so easily exposed by The Atlantic's release. When the person in question is editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, no doubt about that.
Hegseth said that it was a “hoax” like “Russia, Russia, Russia,” “very fine people on both sides” and “suckers and losers.”
It makes sense that a professional propagandist’s only recourse is lying.
The guy is a WET BRAIN alcoholic who's more than likely drinking as I write so we can expect more mistakes going forward Only the best people!!!
I predict that after a solid 2 days of denying that war plans were on the chat, now that the chat content has been released today, MAGA is going to brand Goldberg a traitor for releasing classified information in the chat.
That's a laughably safe bet, but agreed.
I do think The Atlantic needs to be very, very careful about how much information they release from that chat. Seems to me they are exposing themselves to some sort of criminal charges, whether justified or not. This administration has shown that it has no qualms about making outrageous allegations and harassing people legally with its official tools and resources.
When a corrupt, fascist. lawless force takes over, people will have to assume risks as part of the game.
apart from that, the Atlantic should not be doing anything that might help our adversaries by publishing information that is, or should have been, classified. But chaos breeds more chaos.
If it does help them at all, and I'm not convinced it does, the benefits for us certainly outweigh the potential benefits for them.
“It appeared that there had even been demonstrations to thank Big Brother for raising the chocolate ration to twenty grams a week. And only yesterday […] it had been announced that the ration was to be reduced to twenty grams a week. Was it possible that they could swallow that, after only twenty-four hours? Yes, they swallowed it.” -George Orwell, 1984
I used to think this part was exaggerated to make Orwell’s point. I wish I still thought that.
Jenny, I have thought the exact same thing. It's uncanny how much George Orwell predicted our present situation.
"Above all else, the party demanded that you reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
"January 6th was a day of love."
– Donald J. Trump
Attack a Tesla: terrorist.
Attack a Capitol police officer: patriot.
and aren't we all so grateful that Musk graciously appears to have agreed to cooperate with Congress on cuts to the workforce. Stand up and cheer y'all. At least, that was the framing I got from a recent NPR article on the matter.
I just read Animal Farm to my 13-year-old son a few days ago. We were both shaken.
Even as an adult who reads all the time, I love when people read to me. It's a special thing to share a book that way, even if it is a disturbing one.
After admitting yesterday that he put Goldberg into the chat, Waltz--without walking back what he said, just counting on us to forget it (classic brazen Trump) says today he's "investigating how the heck [Goldberg] got in the room," which pretty clearly implies they're going to start claiming he hacked his way in somehow--or that a flaw in Signal dumped him in. You called it, Faith. It looks like Signal's going to get thrown under the bus, for sure.
Whether they go so far as to claim Goldberg, who is widely respected in the media community, got in by illicit means, depends, I think, on how cowed they think the media is and how relevant they think the media still is. By yesterday evening, the media was all parroting "no classified material" like it was the new "no collusion," which isn't a good sign. Will the media also stop reminding people that Waltz admitted he screwed up when Trump starts trying to pin something nefarious on Goldberg? We shall see.
Whether they go after him and the Atlantic for treason over today's article is another question. I've got to believe the Atlantic is very high on his retribution list, both in general, and because of articles Goldberg has written that expose Trump as a total fraud vis a vis the military he considers his ace in the hole.
We, the opposition, need to start drawing some red lines.
The National Insecurity Team et al have declared that it’s not classified information, so The Atlantic took its cue from them, plus they wanted to expose the lies, of course.
DETAILS, DETAILS… This is bad. Really bad:
John Ratcliffe, Trump’s CIA Director, typed the name of an undercover CIA operative in that chat. Let that sink in. In case anyone has any doubt: That is classified intelligence information of the highest order!
Let us remember that one of the participants in that Signal chat was Steve Witkoff – who happened to be in Moscow at the time. Just to be clear: Signal is insecure and it is virtually guaranteed the Russians had full access to the chat.
PS. Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, is the only one acting responsibly here. Unlike Trump’s incompetent National Security team, Goldberg is NOT risking releasing sensitive classified info into the public domain.
Trump's Afghanistan moment comes early? How fitting, since he was 110% responsible for the original.
we know Goldberg is not doing this, how?
I'm sorry, are you implying that Goldberg, the veteran journalist, is somehow to blame for the incompetence of the Trump administration, the group that is more synonymous with scandal than Shonda Rhimes?
Without mental fitness evaluations, the public needs to know the danger of certified madness in politics. When dangerous mental pathologies are allowed to spread like a pandemic, an Extinction Level Event is headed straight for Earth. The U.S. could be a shining example of how to stop dangerous mental pathologies before they worm their way into politics but it is now left with "emergency cleanup on aisle madness'.
Subscribe Dr Bandy X Lee
https://open.substack.com/pub/bandyxlee/p/our-psychological-and-political-pandemic?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=280c3q
Additionally, the last thing you want in a Sec of Defense is the inability to see beyond his own next move, to anticipate the moves of others. Not exactly a chess champion.
While Vlad Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are playing chess, Pete Hegseth struggles with Tic-Tac-Toe.
A genuine LOL!! Are you a late-night comic in disguise??
no one should be terribly surprised by this Signal event. it won't get rid of anyone unless they pin it on some low level functionary.
And will a single ONE of them be held in contempt of Congress for lying under oath?
Ask again in a week. The answer might be yes.
no way.
Sheesh, already so sure of our defeat?
Re ". . .now is the time for Dems and all of us to really pounce and tell our story with everything we got." To wit: With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days!) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-25-25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Mayor Michelle Wu, J im Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Adam Schiff, Elyssa Slotkin, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson--
American Bar Association, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, DemocracyLabs, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines et al. And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal,
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (Law.com)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (Law.com)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (Law.com)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (Law.com)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
The 22 blue state attorney generals? Apologize if they're already there and I just missed them. Great idea, Larry! :)
They need to get the vigilante protection laws off the books so that vigilante voter challenges cannot be made in 2026
Let's keep updating this - Thank you, Larry! Please add in Senator Jon Ossoff - incredible leadership speech at Atlanta rally 3 days ago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEFzw21cx7Q
Jon Ossoff added together with 22 blue state attorney generals this morn. Thanks for all suggestions. WE ARE NOT ALONE!
And hopefully make it slightly more organized.
And his colleague, Sen. Warnock!
Please add Women's March (since 2017!) https://www.womensmarch.com/initiatives
Please make your plans for April 5th in D.C. or your State Capitols.
Women's March added, of course. All suggestions welcome. Thanks.
Fred Wellman https://fpwellman.substack.com/p/exclusive-dod-has-deployed-signal
Check this out on how Trump people are directing people to install Signal in override of security regs.
Fred Welllman/On Democracy added to org list. All welcome. (My little list heading toward its own thousand :-) Keep 'um coming!
Y'all, I haven't been checking in much since the election, though I read and watch and listen to almost everything bubbling at Hopium. I am calling my Georgia Senators and Rep (almost) every day now and donating to the specific candidates who Simon strategically bundles for here. And I continue to tell the truth about this extraordinary country (and the peril she currently faces) to anyone in my sphere of influence. Godspeed to all of you who are doing the same.
Cobb County in the house. GA-11.
Hey friend - I’m VA-born, SC-bred & raised, TN-educated….and have been turning GA blue since the 1990s. Pleased to meet you!
Yesterday I saw an interview Scott Dworkin did with Gay Valimont who is running in a FL special election. I think she’s a great candidate. Jasmine Crockett says “we have to try!” Having her on for a short interview would let people hear her and decide for themselves if the want to contribute, make calls or text and help her campaign. I don’t think having an interview with her takes anything away from the work and support for candidates in 2026. The DNC is now putting some money in.
Good thought, and a way to get louder, double down on winning ALL these critical elections!
Gay is doing a live town hall tonight from Crestview, and has sent out the word to Okaloosa and Walton counties to join in. I'm pretty sure FB will stream it, if it's streamed anywhere -- as with some of her other live events.
Excellent election results in Pennsylvania. Just a quick word about the 'Signalgate' events. The hostility to Europe (and Canada and others) is provoking responses. I hope our peoples maintain the best possible relationships, however commercial, diplomatic and military relationships are being strained. We will see Europe going its own way in these areas, developing and procuring European equipment and reducing purchases of US manufactured equipment. Increasingly there are popular boycotts of big American brands. Even in the UK this is starting. I think the next four years risks major rifts. The use of tariffs, the disgusting treatment of the President of Ukraine (a 21st century Churchill) and the badmouthing of Europeans is just unfathomable. Hundreds of British servicemen died in Afghanistan and Iraq, alongside what were then their American comrades. Now that's overlooked, our shared histories of defending democracy overlooked, all for some childish, puerile bigotry. Well, FU Vance and Trump. To US friends, solidarity - we have to defeat this oligarchical faction full of Russian assets. Next stop is Wisconsin on 1 April. Love to you all.
Probably a good idea for all of us to keep in touch with friends from other countries. We, the people, can be the stitches for these wounds until we throw these evil clowns out of power.
Absolutely Tom!
Greetings from Madison, WI. Flew in from Connecticut over the weekend and will be here through the election and beyond canvassing and doing digital media. Thanks to my belov-ed Gretchen (who is now a Hopium member as well) for making this possible!.
First day of canvassing was encouraging. 21% of the people whose doors I knocked on opened them (which my handler said was "amazing") on a late afternoon that felt a lot colder than it was, and that doesn't include people who weren't on the list but hopefully will be included going forward.
Everyone who opened their door was very enthusiastic, determined, had a plan to vote, and (this surprised me), thanked me without my playing the Connecticut card--my handler told me I should tell people where I had come from as a way of emphasizing how important this election is. He said in his experience, it means a lot to people to know that (whereas I would've thought you wouldn't want to come across as a 21st century Freedom Rider unless, like me, you're "coming home")
I want to emphasize to anyone who doesn't think they can do this that I *suck* at it. No, really. I go up to each door kind of hoping no one will be home so I can just leave the literature and move on. If somebody does answer the door, there follows an increasingly uncomfortable silence until I can find and "use my words." And even when I do, my brain-mouth coordination isn't as good or fast as my hand-brain. This is why I'm online ;D
But there *were* two 'crafty left-hander" things I did to make up for my complete lack of a fastball, one of which I think helped, and the other I *know* did.
(1) Before going up to any door, I Googled pronunciations of any first or last names that weren't completely familiar and obvious to me. I figured that in the current hostile environment for immigrants, it would help break the ice if I got this right, and I got some looks that I think confirmed this.
(2) Being an online community/viral guy, the most important thing to me other than making sure people vote is getting them to commit to getting the word out to friends. But the kind of person most likely to do it, who has already voted or committed to vote, seems to want to just tell you this and go back inside (or hang up the phone).
The campaign gave me these flyers to leave if nobody was home, so what I did instead of asking for a pledge was hand the person three flyers and ask if they could give them to three friends. Everyone agreed enthusiastically to do it, some even thanked me for the materials. My handler told me it was a great idea, but told me I can only give people one flyer because supplies are limited. Sounds like we need to keep giving money!
Tom, You are an inspiration. Thank you and I hope with every fibre of my being that Susan Crawford wins!
I second that! Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election is a must-win. Fortunately, with our help, Susan Crawford is a will-win!!
I do hope so. I was convinced Kamala would win though, so take nothing for granted.
A lot of smart people were, so don't feel too bad about miscalling that one.
Thanks for the 'roadmap' - both obviously are effective. The Google pronunciation one is especially good. And i would say that despite lack of money and material, giving out 3 is better than 1. 1 flyer easily ends up in the nearest wastebasket, whereas throwing out 3 might be harder. They might be more likely to clump together on the nearest table and keep nudging the recipient to give them out - even to the mailman or next delivery person.
When I was canvassing last year (and I also suck at it), I kept a few flyers by my own front door. Anyone who was selling something got heard out, but then I asked if they had a plan to vote and gave them a flyer.
Thanks for doing this Tom. In my limited experience going out of state to canvass door-to-door, I found it to be much more challenging and frustrating than I expected. I doubt I got 5 percent of doors to open.
Are you a scary-looking dude?
Not at all. I was told by more experienced canvassers not to expect many to open the door.
Did you get a list of strong Dems only? Now 5% would be bad.
We had miniVAN lists of Dem and independent voters. This was a Saturday and Sunday last May in Norristown, Pa.
I was told the lists we were getting consisted only of people WisDems weren't sure were going to vote--anyone who was "definitely" going to vote or had already voted was not included. That's why I was surprised by both the hit rate and the universality of the reaction on the part of those who opened the door.
The second day, when I started earlier, the hit rate was lower, 11% I think, but that doesn't include 3 people who weren't on the list (though maybe they were definites). I'm both scary-looking and earnest-looking in equal measure, walking, talking cognitive dissonance.
OK, I've stalled long enough. Time for me to try to talk my way into an apartment building with 83 potential voters in it.
I probably wouldn’t open my door for someone I didn’t recognize. Depending on the neighborhood, there could be a lot of people that might not open their door for security reasons.
Here, if they arrive pairwise by car and are well dressed, they are likely to be Jehovah’s Witnesses or Mormons, or people who drove down the wrong driveway. At least that has been our experience.
I always wore a tee shirt with the name of the campaign and had a bag with a Kamala Harris sticker. My goal was for them to know who I was before I even talked, so they could choose to engage or not. The best times in my area for doors being answered were late Sunday morning, like 10-12.
the more you do it the better you get. Plus it's interesting and supportive talking to many people. Not always, of course.
Incredible and inspiring! Thanks
Good for you on canvassing! And for sharing what you did. I am also uncomfortable about canvassing and calling my Congress people, but I'm finding that if I make it a practice, it gets so much easier.
Self reporting: I called Raskin, Alsobrooks, and Van Hollen. Thanked Raskin for what he's doing but said Democrats all need to start acting like this is the emergency it is. Told all 3 I started paying SS when I bagged groceries at 15 and paid every year until I retired and I don't want it destroyed because Musk fires all the workers so no one can get any help. Also told all 3 that the administration leaking war plans on insecure social media cannot be a one-day or even one-week issue. Democrats need to grab ahold of this issue and not let go. Looking forward to tonight's subscriber chat.
Hey Catherine, I also live in Maryland and have been calling the same 3, but focusing more on the senators because Raskin is already doing so much . Should we try meeting our senators in person as a delegation from Hopium? Would any other Marylanders care to join us?
As it stands, I'm forced to wonder if any legal consequences are going to come of what I'm going to call 'Stupid Watergate III: The Stupidest Stupid Watergate.' But if we get really lucky in the U.S House races next week, we can make MAGA feel this one.
I think it's up to us to make sure it doesn't just disappear.
Or the House flips, and a hearing is at least guaranteed. We haven't been that lucky (at least nationally) in a while, so I suppose there's an argument to be made that we're due.
Thanks Tom de Boor, 22 blue state Attorney Generals added to list. Great suggestion.
There are 23. https://dems.ag/meet-the-attorneys-general/
Thanks. Perhaps one added that we missed. Corrected
Love Ben Wikler! Thanks, Simon, for being the aggregator for hopeful signs.
Self reporting from WI… Calls are in to republican Senator regarding the importance of going in offense now etc. calls are in to democratic electeds as well. Rounding up a few friends to “bridge brigade” for Crawford on Saturday. Unfortunately I have to postpone my planned Trump protest this afternoon- It’s on my list for next week though. I think I’m going to bring my dog (his name is Simon, so it’s only right he takes part in the resistance) - he’s got a little protest sign to hang on his back “Dogs against DOGE” and “paws off K-9 units”
Staying in the fight…
OMG, love the dog signs! Wish my 80-lb dog were still alive - he'd be up for a big sign.
Same, my late black lab C.J. would've loved this sort of thing in his younger days.
Now if we could just persuade the cats to get up off the couch
Perhaps shout "Here comes JD Vance" - that should clear all couches in the area. Sorry, a cheap shot but couldn't resist.
I was somewhat raised by cats and I'm here, does that count? (Joke)
My cat is too busy watching Jackie and Shadow, on constantly for her.
I am sure your Simon is highly articulate – even if he struggles with the consonants.
Hysterical - my Tobey says OOOOOW!
Thank you Simon! I've been very frustrated at Dems I've either been in touch with or seen on zooms who are still saying "voters only care about kitchen table issues" and refuse to lead with a holistic narrative that "from Social Security to national security, Trump/Musk/the GOP don't care about us and can't be trusted." What do we have to do to build them up so they're willing to be bolder?
I like "from social security to national security." That's good.
thank you :)
Agree! Really great campaigning phrase. Hope you don't mind if i send out to my reps today! So topical, catchy and memorable.
Think I am going to use this on my April 5 signs, though I might add "Republicans can't be trusted".
Team Trump – "From Social Insecurity to National Insecurity".
Holy god, how does this just keep getting better? It's like watching the writing of the The West Wing's "Poor Tax" scene in real time.
Love this!
Thank you! :)
Wow, that's good. Seriously, that's got some real cadence going. That's such a home run, I'm half-surprised it didn't show up in The West Wing.
And to answer your question: Some blowout wins on the national level, most likely.
LOL